Bulls Coach? Wait A Couple Of Weeks

Krause Still Interviewing

Davis Not A Candidate

The search for a new Bulls coach is running "smoothly," General Manager Jerry Krause said Tuesday, but he added that he doesn't expect to name Phil Jackson's replacement for another two weeks.

"The process has gone well," Krause said from his office at the Berto Center in north suburban Deerfield. "We've got some great candidates--people who I think are the top candidates in the business. We're still going to be talking to candidates. We're taking our time, because we want to be very sure and confident with our choice."

He wouldn't talk about specific candidates, saying, "I just believe it's better not to do that." But the Tribune has been able to confirm that Krause and Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf already have spoken with four assistant coaches: Charlotte's Paul Silas, Cleveland's Ron Rothstein, Indiana's Rick Carlisle and Phoenix's Scott Skiles.

Iowa State coach Tim Floyd, meanwhile, has had informal discussions with Krause off and on since the season ended and is believed to be the leading candidate. But one Bulls insider said reports of Krause and Reinsdorf talking to former Dallas Mavericks guard Brad Davis--even informally--were false. Davis is not a candidate.

Krause said there would be discussions with other potential candidates and that a decision by the end of this week was "highly unlikely." Krause added that he and Reinsdorf are in no hurry to name a coach, especially with the NBA lockout having shut down all official business. The lockout will be two weeks old Wednesday.

During the lockout, teams are prohibited from any formal contact with their players. Krause and Reinsdorf have said Michael Jordan's input would be sought in the selection of the new coach, but it would have to come informally, barring a quick settlement of the lockout, which all parties agree is unlikely.

"The process has gone about how I expected it to go," Krause said. "We'll be making a decision sometime in the next two weeks. Jerry and I have done a lot of talking, and we still have a lot of talking to do. This is a big decision for the future of our organization."

It remains to be seen how Bulls assistant Frank Hamblen fits into the picture. He has said he isn't a candidate for the job and hasn't been interviewed. But Dennis Rodman told the Tribune last week that he and Jordan wanted Hamblen to assume the head-coaching duties.

Krause's response to Rodman's statement?

"You just try to pick the best coach," he said.

In any case, it appears Krause and Reinsdorf have put potential candidates through a thorough interviewing process. Skiles, who met Saturday with the Bulls' brass, said Krause and Reinsdorf had done their homework and asked a lot of probing questions during a three-hour meeting.

"It was kind of fun, to be honest," Skiles said. "I'll sit in a room to talk basketball with anyone for hours."

But Skiles said Krause and Reinsdorf gave no indication when a decision would be made. They also were non-committal on the makeup of the roster, indicating they weren't entirely sure if Jordan, Rodman or Scottie Pippen would be back with the team.

Krause said each of the candidates he has talked to has made a point of asking about the team's future. The Bulls have 11 free agents, including Pippen, Jordan and Rodman.

"Naturally, they want to know what kind of roster we plan to have," Krause said. "That's understandable. People need to know that."